


Unlearned Behaviors

by Jayfur08



Series: Family Of Six [4]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: ADHD Anne Boleyn, ASD Catherine Parr, ASD Katherine Howard, Abuse, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Arguing, Attempted Sexual Assault, Depression, Dyslexic Jane Seymour, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Guilt, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I did a lot of research on abusive relationships, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Learned Behaviors, Mild Language, Miscommunication, Pain, Panic Attacks, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Self-Loathing, Sexual Assault, Slut Shaming, Snapping, Tension, cursing, domestic abuse, idk - Freeform, mostly angst, tempers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:27:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28654236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jayfur08/pseuds/Jayfur08
Summary: Anne, Kitty, and Jane were abuse. Not only abused, but abused in a very specific way.Even with their abusers long gone, they couldn't help but react to certain things in certain ways.The others are determined to help.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn & Catherine Parr, Anne Boleyn/Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves & Katherine Howard, Anne of Cleves/Jane Seymour, Catherine of Aragon & Jane Seymour, Jane Seymour & Katherine Howard & Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr, Queens - Relationship
Series: Family Of Six [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065728
Comments: 57
Kudos: 68





	1. Flinches, Boundaries, and Apologies

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Mentions of abuse, panic, anxiety, sexual abuse, guilt, and some abuse terminology

They all knew about each other's experiences with Henry and other people. Well, they knew a bit.

Ever since that day where Anne, Cathy, and Kat opened up more about their abuse, they had all been concerned.

They also definitely didn't forget Jane mentioning the threats.

They began to notice more little things from them. More notably, Anne, Kat, and Jane.

Cathy was relatively calm a lot of the time. She got self-conscious if some asshole made fun of her for stimming, but she was always comfortable around the other queens, save for a couple snaps or misdirected anger.

But the others noticed.

The way Jane nearly flew into a panic attack at a simple, innocent mistake, apologizing for far more times than necessary.

The way that Kitty flinched but stiffened every time there was a sudden or too close touch.

The way Anne seemed to dread arguments or seemed virtually unable to say no without getting tense and defensive afterward.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Catherine and Jane were making dinner one night, when Jane suggested they also make a cake.

“Oh, yeah!” Catherine smiled and got the ingredients.

Jane decided that she would handle the cake alone until Catherine finished dinner, or at least got to a point where she could help with the cake without risking messing up dinner. Catherine agreed, and focused on the main course.

“Hey, Catherine,” Jane glanced at her as she pulled out some frosting, ”How is it going?”

“Oh,” Catherine smiled, ”Good, h-”

There was a crash and Catherine flinched. She turned around and saw Jane staring down at a couple of broken eggs. Her eyes were wide and her breathing had already quickened.

“Hey, hey, Jane!” She took a step forward, ”It's fine, let me clean it up.”

“No!” Jane gave an obviously fake smile, “It's- I got it, okay? Trust me, I- I got it. I'm sorry.”

“You have no need to apologize!” Catherine reassured, ”I got it. Why don't we just clean up and keep going okay?”

“S-Sure...” Jane stepped back and looked down, ”S- I- I... I'm sorry.”

“You don't need to apologize,” Catherine repeated, ”Okay?”

“Okay...” Jane swallowed, ”I- Okay.”

Catherine grabbed some paper towels and the two of them began to clean up and were soon back to normal. But Catherine didn't forget...  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Kitty and Anna were playing video games, and it was going fine. Until, at some point, Anna touched Kitty in a way that set her off.

Kitty won and stuck her tongue out at Anna, ”Ha ha!”

Anna rolled her eyes and put a hand on Kitty's leg, only later did she realize it was a little close to her inner thigh.

“Yeah, yeah, Rosa Kätzchen!” She looked at her with a smirk, ”I'll beat your ass next time!”

It was late, they were both tired, so it Anna a second to register that Kitty had tensed and pulled every bit of her body away other than her leg. She was in a weird position, desperately pulling away while seeming too scared to really do it.

Anna pulled away, ”Oh, God, Kätzchen I am-”

“No, no, it-” Kitty gave an awkward laugh, ”It's fine... I just didn't expect it. Don't worry.”

“No, no,” Anna shook her head, ”I-I didn't realize. I was being dense. I shouldn't have touched you like that.”

“Don't worry!” Kitty turned back to the TV, ”Really. It- Don't worry. It was just a flinch.”

“Kätzchen,” Anna looked at her, ”I'm sorry. I'll... I'll try to not do it.”

“It's fine,” Kat picked up the remote, ”I swear.”

Anna let it go and they kept playing, but she never forgot it...  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Cathy walked over to Anne's door and knocked. “Hey, Anne?”

“Yeah?” A voice came, but the door didn't open.

“You coming down for movie night?” Cathy asked.

“Oh, uh...” There was a stifled noise from the other side of the door. Was that a sigh? “Su- Yeah. Yes. I'm coming.”

Cathy rolled her eyes a little and jokingly replied, ”Was that a sigh I heard?”

“No!” Anne said, much too quickly, ”I- I didn't sigh. No. I'm coming just gi-”

“Anne, Anne,” Cathy cut her off before she could spiral, ”If you don't wanna come down, that's fine. Okay? You can say no.”

“No, I-” There was a shifting noise and stumbling, ”I'm gonna be down in a second, I swe-”

“Anne!” Cathy snapped, before realizing that tone was not a good idea...

“I'm coming, I'm coming!” Her voice was more panicked now.

“Anne, Anne, hey!” Cathy kept her voice as soft as possible, ”Why don't you just stay in your room tonight? It's fine if you don't feel like movie night.”

There were a few seconds of silence before a quiet, ”Okay...” came from the other side.

“I'm sorry for snapping,” Cathy said, ”I won't do it again.”

“It's fine...” Anne was a lot quieter now and Cathy could hardly hear her, ”I'm- I'm fine. I sh- I- It's fine.”

Cathy could tell she didn't know what to say. She sighed, mumbling a small, ”It's... fine.” and walking away. She knew it wasn't. And she didn't forget that.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
One day, after Anna and Catherine's -soft- suggestion, Jane, Anne, and Kitty left to get the groceries. That left Cathy, Catherine, and Anna home. It only took a few minutes for one of them to finally crack and ask the others. Cathy was that one.

“Okay,” Cathy turned to Anna and Catherine, ”But there is something... Off about Jane, Anne, and Kitty.”

“Yes!” Catherine stood up, ”Anne is incapable of saying no sometimes! I mean, she is not what I would call weak-willed, but, God, she will be so clearly uncomfortable sometimes and refuse to say something about it.”

“And sometimes, she is so submissive and soft!” Anna looked at them, ”She will absolutely break down at any disagreement and just agree.”

“And Jane looks like a scared rabbit when she drops something,” Cathy added, ”She'll apologize over and over when she doesn't have to!”

“And Kitty will do this-” Anna took a deep breath, ”Flinch but not really thing? Like, pull everything but what you touched away? And then act like it never happened!”

“Yes!” Catherine agreed, ”And I ask her and apologize and she just says that it's fin-”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Cathy interrupted them, ”Okay. What is it that the three of them have in common?”

“They're cousins?” Anna tilted her head.

“No-” Cathy sighed, ”Well... Yes, but not that.”

“They've all been abused but you fall under that, too, Cathy,” Catherine reminded.

“Yeah, yeah,” Cathy nodded, ”But I... I don't... Okay, there's a term I saw. It's something called ‘learned behaviors.’”

“What does that mean?” Anna asked.

“It's something that, with enough years of abuse,” Cathy paused and hummed, ”Things like... If you get hit for doing something long enough, you will flinch and expect a hit every time you do it. Even if you've never gotten hit by the people you're with now.”

“Like...” Catherine looked at her, ”Instinctually-driven actions?”

“Yeah,” Cathy figured that was accurate enough to let them say that, ”Instinctual actions, but learned. I... I don't think I have that. PTSD, yes, but that's a different story.”

“What do we do about it?” Anna looked up at her.

“No idea,” Cathy sighed and pulled out her phone, ”There are plenty of techniques to use, and it'll always take time.”

“Of course,” Catherine nodded, ”But what exactly should we know or do?”

“Well,” Cathy looked at her phone and nodded, ”They all have different kinds of abuse, but blanket statements: Be sensitive during arguments. Ask them about their abuse without smothering them, but making sure that they're okay. Ask for consent for everything, even minor things, and let them say no without pressuring them. Then, it'll become easier and more natural to say no to the big things, as well.”

“Okay,” Anna nodded, ”Yeah. I got it. It can't be too hard to just... Be respectful.”

“And patient,” Catherine added.

“But not patronizing,” Cathy reminded them, ”They aren't dumb. They'll notice if we start treating them like children.”

“Kitty is basically a child,” Anna added, but Cathy just continued.

“Just be patient and nice but not...” Cathy paused and searched for the right word, ”Not... Not too pitying to them. A balance.”

“We can do that!” Anna grinned, and the others nodded with agreement.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
They couldn't do that.

It took all of five minutes for the cousins to realize something was up.

They all stayed quiet, for a while. After a few hours, Anne snapped.

It was dinner, and she had been fuming about the weird treatment for a while now.

Kitty noticed, obviously, and had been glancing at Anne and silently begging her to stay silent. Anne did, for a bit, but at some point decided to ignore her and snapped anyway.

“Okay!” Anne slammed her hand down on the table. Kitty sighed, expecting this. After shooting Jane a look, Jane realized what was happening and winced.

The other three looked at her.

“Yes?” Catherine hesitantly began.

“Why are you treating me like a child? And don't say you aren't, because-” Anne gave a low chuckle, ”-I can tell you are. So tell me- No, no! Tell us, Kitty and Jane included, what's happening.”

“Nothing!” Anna rolled her eyes, ”We aren't doing anything. Someone being nice to you isn't treating you like a c-”

“Anna,” Kitty interrupted her, ”I know what it's like to be treated like a child. You all treat me like a child. This is like that, but 10x worse and including Jane and Annie.”

“Thank you!” Anne glared at them.

Cathy shot Anna a warning, and not-so-subtly mumbled, ”Let's not dismiss their feelings here, Anna! We're going to discuss it with them, like equals.”

Jane tilted her head then gasped and jumped up, ”You! You're doing it!”

“What?” Catherine looked at her, vaguely looking like a deer caught in headlights.

“You're singling us out and using the opposite of abuse tactics!” Jane looked at them, ” _Cathy!_ I thought you were better than this.”

“We aren't doing anything!” Cathy nervously waved her hands, ”Just... We... We've noticed... That you three, in particular, seem to... Act a bit jumpy and diff-”

“Hey!” Anne yelled, ”You guys are singling our abuse out, aren't you?!”

“Cathy was abused, too!” Kitty protested, ”Why aren't you treating her like a helpless child?!”

“We aren't treating you like a child!” Anna argued, ”We're just being more sensitive! You were abuse. That's a fact. You three have behaviors from your abuse that we need to be mindful of.”

“Stop using fancy terms that you don't even know the meanings of!” Anne snapped, ”And we are fine! Right, guys?!” Kitty and Jane nodded and show the other three a look.

“No, you're not!” Catherine looked at them, ”You guys all have your own things! You think we don't notice the flinches, the fear, the random bouts of submissiveness, the touch-sensitivity, the frequent and unnecessary apologies?! We do!”

“Those aren't-!” Anne paused and looked at her, ”No! We don't- Even if we do, you guys are making us feel like shit with this treatment!”

“It's been, like,” Kitty crossed her arms, ”Three hours and Anne's already snapped.”

“You guys aren't at all good at subtlety,” Jane added, ”And it's insulting for you guys to walk around eggshells around us.”

“You do that!” Anna argued, ”You three always do that!”

“Especially Jane,” Cathy looked at her, ”You always act like we're gonna get mad at you for the slightest thing.”

“No!” Jane looked at them, ”I'm just apologetic when I mess up!”

“Okay!” Catherine stood up, ”This isn't helping us. We need to talk about it. Because, like it or not, you three have issues that need to be confronted.”

“Oh, really?” Anne scoffed, ”We have addressed our problems with you guys already.”

“Not correctly,” Cathy flicked her finger, ”And not fully. The most we have is a vague story about your abuse, maybe some tears, and hugs. We don't actually talk about it!”

“Okay, you just described talking about,” Kitty rolled her eyes.

Jane looked at everyone and noticed that Anne, while standing her ground and arguing, was shaking and standing in a defensive position. Kitty seemed to just be getting much, much too heated. Jane was, too.

She sighed and grabbed Kitty and Anne's hands, “Come on, we are going!”

As the three cousins stormed off, Anna called out, ”Look up ‘learned behaviors’ then come back and let's talk!”  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
The door slammed shut and Catherine winced.

“That did... Not go as planned,” Anna nodded, ”But-”

“God fucking dammit, you two!” Cathy snapped.

“Us?!” Catherine glared at her, ”You were using the big words on them! You couldn't just talk to them like a per-”

“Do not finish that sentence, Aragon, or it'll end badly for the both of us!” Cathy glared at her.

“Okay, okay,” Catherine held her hands up, ”My bad. I'm sorry.”

“Let's just let everyone cool down,” Anna looked at them, ”And continue later.”

“Okay,” Cathy nodded, ”Okay. Let's... Finish dinner, go to sleep, and try again in the morning.”

“Sounds good,” Catherine sat down.

Tomorrow would be... Eventful. Even more so than tonight.


	2. Late Night Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Abuse Cousin Trio has a talk about their self-loathing
> 
> The Trying Their Best Trio is trying their best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied/referenced abuse, self-loathing, no self-esteem, implied/referenced sexual abuse, talks of ‘earning’ love, just a lot of different abuse tactics

Anne, Jane, and Kitty were dreading going out. Mostly because, after cooling down, they knew the others are right.

None of them slept that night.

Anne broke the silence first.

“I'm always terrified of saying no,” She said, laying on the ground of Jane’s room, along with Kitty and Jane. “And arguing. It always seemed fine until it got more and more intense and I didn't realize until I felt the pain. Outright defiance made it so much worse.”

“Oh, Annie,” Kitty rolled over and side, ”I... I do it. If someone touches me in a way that- that sets me off, I pull away. Except for wherever they touched. There was no point in pulling that away. It made it harder in the long run. I eventually learned to stop.”

“Kat...” Jane sighed, ”Me... Me, too. I know- I know no one will hurt me. Or yell. Or threaten. But the fewer mistakes I make and the quicker I apologize and fix it, the less yelling. No threats. Because if I'm good enough, I'll still earn everyone's love.”

They were silent for a few minutes. 

Anne let out a dry laugh, ”Oh, _fuck,_ we're so broken.”

“Who thinks like this?” Jane breathed, ”Who-Who thinks they have to earn the right to not get yelled at?”

“Why can't I just-” Kitty flailed her arms, ”Tell people when I'm uncomfortable? Why can't I just move away when I want to?”

“Why can't I just tell people no?” Anne sat up, feeling herself tear up, ”I-I don't _fucking_ \- I know Catherine would _**never**_ make me do anything- No, none of you would! I just- I can-”

“Annie, calm down,” Kitty had sat up, as well as Jane, and were looking at her.

“We're **broken,** Kit!” She looked at her, her voice only being because she knew if she raised it, it would break too much, ”You, too, Jane. Cathy went through this! Hell, even Catherine and Anna got their fair share of shittiness. Why is it just us?”

“Maybe it just...” Jane looked down, at her hand, ”Runs in the family.”

Anne let out a bitter laugh, ”Getting _**fucked**_ over seems to, yeah. By the _same asshole,_ as well as our own family!”

“We're damaged goods,” Jane mumbled, ”We've ‘learned behaviors’ or whatever.”

“What if we can't... Unlearn them?” Kitty looked down, ”What if we can't... Be...”

“Fixed?” Anne finished her sentence.

“Will they still want us?” Jane mumbled, voice hoarse.

“Do... Do _we_ want us?” Kitty looked down.

“They won't want us,” Anne hissed, feeling anger and frustration bubble up, ”They want to **fix** us. And if they can't, we're **fucked.** Everyone else got rid of us, right? The second we're an _**inconvenience.**_ ”

They didn't talk for the rest of the night.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
There was a soft knock on the door.

Anne looked at the door. She sighed and mumbled, ”Yeah?”

“Can we come on?” Catherine asked, voice strangely soft.

Anne felt a burst of anger in her chest. That fucking tone. All sympathetic and- the tone a mother uses for her crying child.

She reminded herself it wasn't their fault she was so broken and looked at Jane and Kitty.

Kitty gave a small nod, so Jane nodded, ”Yeah, come in.”

The door opened and the other three walked in.

“So...” Cathy began, ”We're sorry. We were far too pushy.”

“And...” Anna sighed, ”More... Babying that needed. We just-”

“Don't,” Jane interrupted her and stood up, Anne and Kat following, ”We get it.”

“Get... What?” Anna tilted her head.

Jane stepped forward and tilted her head up, looking tired and resigned. Anne and Kitty looked around the same, like they had given up on something. They weren't sure what, though, but it was something.

“We're broken,” Jane said, ”Damaged goods. What was it you said? ‘Learned Behaviors’? We're tainted.”

“No!” Cathy took a step forward, ”Y-You- No! You three aren't broken-”

“Who the fuck else thinks like this?!” Anne snapped, pushing ahead of everyone else, ”Who else- Who else is so damn scared of saying no?! What kind of- I'm scared of you guys and t-that is wrong!”

“You aren't broken!” Catherine looked at her, ”You're abuse victims. You're survivors. It'll take t-”

“That doesn't make us any less broken,” Kitty spat, glaring at her, ”All that means is that someone else broke us.”

“No one is broken!” Anna panickedly glanced at Cathy and Catherine, who seemed at a loss for words, ”When the Hell did you three get so cynical?”

“How are you guys gonna fix us?” Anne demanded, ”Because I have no idea how! I have no idea what I can do to stop- stop being like this!”

“Anne!” Cathy was desperately trying to get a grasp on the conversation, ”I know you aren't broken! None of you are! You're... You're hurt. There's nothing to fix.”

“Then, what are we?!” Kitty yelled, eyes filled with tears, ”Because-Bec- Because this isn't... Okay!”

“No, it's not!” Anna looked at her, ”It isn't okay. What happened to you guys isn't okay. But it doesn't make you irredeemable. You aren't tainted. You aren't damaged goods.”

“We aren't easy to deal with,” Jane seemed to be talking to herself at this point, “We're obnoxious. Annoying. T-Too much to deal with. So fucking clumsy. God, if only I could just stop making so many mistake-”

“Jane!” Anna grabbed her wrist, only realizing afterward that maybe she shouldn't have done that. Thankfully, Jane didn't react badly. She just turned to Anna with tear-filled eyes.

“I love you,” Anna pulled Jane closer, ”Okay? You are the kindest, most beautiful, adorable, shy, little dork, I've ever met. Even if you were ‘damaged goods’- which you aren't- I still love you! If you're damaged, I don't want perfect goods. Okay?”

Jane crumbled down into sobs and Anna hugged her.

Kitty and Anne watched it unfold, their own tears forming. Kitty looked at Cathy and took a small step over. Cathy held out her hand and Kitty took it, wrapping each other into a hug.

That only left Anne and Catherine. Catherine stepped past the others and looked at her. Anne nervously rubbed her neck before holding out a hand to Catherine. Catherine smiled and grabbed her hand. Anne rushed forward and pressed her head against her neck, letting out the sobs that had been bubbling inside of her.

This was... Something.

Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing was unclear as of now. But it was different. A change.

They would figure it out. It'll be okay... It'll be... Okay... It had to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have traumaaaa


	3. Live, Not Survive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They tall about things that set them off and what to do now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Discussions of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Manipulation and threats

They had all went back to their rooms- or, well, the couples chose a room. Anne went to Catherine's room with her. Jane went to Anna's room with her Kitty went to Cathy's room with her.

They stayed in their rooms for a few hours, until, at some point, everyone's phone buzzed.

**(Queens)**   
_2:34 PM_

Catherine: Hey

Catherine: You guys ready?

Anna: yep

Cathy: Yeah

Catherine: Then let's all go to the living room  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Anne gave Kitty a small smile as she walked in. They were both not excited. Cathy shot Catherine a look that neither Anne nor Kitty understood.

Jane and Anna came in later, Jane glancing at everyone and sitting in between Catherine and Anna.

“So,” Cathy glanced at Catherine, ”Now what?”

“I thought you knew how to fix us,” Anne muttered.

“There's nothing to fix,” Cathy reminded, ”Just... I... I don't know. I'm not an expert in this. None of us have ever had to deal with the aftermath of something before. There was no happy ending last time.”

“You just survived,” Anna mumbled, ”But now we're living.”

“Now we're living,” Jane dully repeated.

“What...” Kitty looked down, ”What do we do _now?_ ”

“Okay,” Catherine took a deep breath, ”We should... No, you three should describe your triggers.”

“Triggers?” Anne asked.

“Things that set you off,” Cathy had pulled out her phone, ”Or things that remind you of bad memories. Hell, just anything you don't want us to do.”

“Um...” Kitty shuffled awkwardly, ”J-Just... _Ask_ before you touch me? Or at least say something so I know you're there before you touch me. Just, uh... Sorry, do- don't touch me without permission?”

“Of course,” Catherine nodded, and Anna and Cathy brightened up a little. Okay, this worked.

“Oh, just...” Jane looked around, ”No snapping at me for little mistakes. You know, there's not much you guys do to set me off, _I_ set _myself_ off. Just... Yeah. No snapping or yelling or threats.”

“Okay,” Anna smiled and put a hand on her hand.

Anne realized it was her turn and mumbled, ”Uh... I don't know,” She grabbed Catherine’s hand, ”Back off if arguments get too heated... If I give a negative reaction to doing something, just back up and don't try and jokingly coerce me into it or I'll have a panic attack. Also, I'm kinda touchy about I.Q.” She didn't realize how much she managed to get out until she was done.

“Yeah, okay,” Cathy smiled and looked at them, ”Okay. We got this.”

“Yeah...” Kitty mumbled, ”Okay.”

“What exactly are we doing here?” Anne narrowed her eyes at Cathy, ”I-I mean... What are we doing?”

“We don't know what we're doing,” Anna looked at her, answering for Cathy, ”But... But we're figuring it out.”

“Yeah...” Catherine sighed and pulled Anna closer, ”Yeah, we're... We're figuring it out.”

“At least, it's in the open now,” Kitty glanced at everyone, ”At least, we've talked about it. We know it's happening.”

“There are so many interesting terms to make me feel like shit!” Anne joked with a bitter smile before falling back to an uncomfortable blank look.

“If you want, we can not use the terms and figure something out?” Cathy glanced at her.

“I don't like any of the terms,” Anne looked at her, ”But I've only heard a few and they aren't wrong, so whatever.”

“It isn't whatever,” Catherine nudged her, ”It's your emotions. They're important.”

Anne shrugged a little and leaned closer to her.

“Does anyone want to say anything?” Cathy asked, looking around.

“Do we have to tell you guys everything?” Kitty asked, grimacing.

“No, of course, not,” Cathy smiled and held out her hand, which Kitty took and leaned against her, ”When you're ready and if you want to.”

“Okay,” Kitty nodded, a small smile on her face.

“Now what?” Jane looked at them, ”I mean... Do we just go back to our day or something?”

“Anyone in the mood for a movie or a show?” Anna glanced around, ”Or you can go back to your rooms. You can do anything you want.”

“A movie sounds good to me,” Anne shrugged.

“I can grab blankets?” Kitty suggested.

“Are we all okay with this?” Anna checked, and, after everyone nodding, she jumped up, “I'm getting candy and popcorn!”

Jane giggled a little, ”Can you get kettle corn?”

“‘Course, Steinherz!” Anna grinned.

Kitty and Cathy left to get blankets. Anne wrapped her arms around Catherine, practically laying on her. Catherine leaned back and hugged her.

Kitty ran back out and tossed a green blanket on Catherine and Anne. Anne shot her a grateful smile and Catherine pulled her closer.

Kitty tossed Jane a blanket, which she and Anna wrapped themselves when Anna got back and handed out their snacks.

Cathy and Kitty smiled and sat down. Cathy shot Kitty a questioning look and held out her hand. Kitty took it and they wrapped the blanket around each other. Kitty pulled out the remote.

“What movie?” She asked, glancing around.

“Your choice,” Anne shrugged.

“Hmm...” Kitty tilted her head and clicked on a movie, something called ‘Murder Mystery.’

They all watched the movie, wondering what would happen. They didn't know how to deal with this. They didn't know if it had to be fixed, or Hell even could be fixed. They didn't know how to deal with the aftermath.

They might've been ~~great~~ (Well, Cathy was) at surviving, but...

They didn't know shit about living.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
After finishing the movie, Jane and Catherine went to the kitchen to start dinner. Anna followed, making little comments and talking, but not actually helping. They figured it was to help Jane feel more comfortable, so no one questioned it.

Kitty, Cathy, and Anne were still on the couch, watching The Office now.

Anne hummed and glanced around. Where was her tangle again? She huffed and stood up.

“Where are you going, Annie?” Kitty asked.

“To find my tangle,” She smiled and walked away.

Kitty shrugged and turned back to the TV. Anne came back in a few seconds, grinning and fiddling with her tangle. She sat down and looked back at the TV.

“What are you guys making?” Cathy called.

“Chicken Carbonara,” Jane called back.

“Okay,” Cathy smiled and turned to the TV.

Okay...

Everything seemed... Somewhat normal. Not normal. There was an air of uneasiness drifting around. Everyone was a little awkward. But that was expected.

They were learning to live.

It was weird. They didn't know what to do.

But they were talking. That was the best they could do for now. Just... Discuss it.

“Hey, Cath?” Anne glanced over.

“Yeah, Anne?” She looked at her.

“Can you... Tell me some of the terms, like...” Anne glanced at the tangle, “What is... What is it called? Like, what I... Went through.”

Kitty blinked and glanced at Cathy, who was pulling out her phone.

“Depends,” Cathy glanced at the phone, ”We know there was physical and sexual abuse. Was there more? Like, emotional?”

“How so?” Anne asked, tilting her head.

“Was he nice one day then shitty the next?” Anne blinked as Cathy began to list more, ”Was his love conditional? Did he promise he would change? Did he act nice around other people and different in private?”

Anne snorted, ”Oh, _**fuck**_ no. I'm pretty sure everyone else knew about him hitting me. Bruises and broken bones are hard to explain off at some point. But he was the King. No one could do anything when he grabbed my wrist a little too hard, could they?”

“Annie, I'm so sorry...” Kitty mumbled.

“Don't be,” Anne shrugged, ”It's done now and there's nothing we can do.”

“I'm guessing that's a no on emotional manipulation, then?” Cathy asked.

“Pretty sure,” Anne shrugged, ”He was really just an asshole. He threatened Elizabeth a couple times.”

“He what?” Kitty looked at her, eyes wide.

“Oh, yeah,” Anne gave a nervous laugh and rubbed her neck, ”The few times I tried to say... No... He said that he would do something to Elizabeth. Vague, but enough for me to give up and just... Let him. Stop fighting back. Not just her, threatened a few of my other friends.”

“Annie, that's horrible!” Kitty glanced at Cathy then looked back at Anne.

“That is really shitty,” Cathy huffed, ”God, I hate Henry.”

“Me, too...” Kitty sighed and looked at her, ”Oh, but, on the emotional manipulation. All of my... What do I call them? Exes?”

“Abusers,” Cathy informed her, ”They are your abusers, Kit.”

“Oh...” Kitty blinked, ”All of my... Abusers did all that stuff. Promised they would change. Well, except Henry. I mean, once or twice but the second I started calling him out, he switched and just went to aggression. And being a dick.”

“His signature move,” Anne nodded and Kitty giggled a little.

“Yeah,” Cathy hummed, ”It makes sense. I mean, you were a kid. They were adults. They were manipulating you.”

“Fuck,” Kitty sighed, ”That... That checks out.”

“They're all shitty,” Anne muttered, ”All of them.”

Kitty smiled, ”Hell, yeah,” as Cathy nodded in agreement.

They turned back to the show and waited for dinner to be finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to get it to 5k so sorry it's kinda short the next one will be longer
> 
> Also feel free to put suggestions of ways the others can help with the abuse or situations and stuff


	4. To Say Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne was doing better.
> 
> Then this asshole had to fuck it all up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Sexual assault, self-hatred, depression, alcohol, flashbacks(ish?), panic attacks, slut-shaming, people are mean to Anne and she believes it

It had been around a week. They were getting better. There were some slip-ups, of course, but better.

There were times someone grabbed Kitty's wrist or poked her too suddenly, then immediately apologized.

There were times someone jokingly made fun of Anne for not wanting to do something or made a blow at her intelligence, then apologized and swore they'd be better.

There were times someone rolled their eyes or groaned at a mistake Jane made, they realized and assured her it was okay.

There were mistakes.

But they were working on it, together.

It was the other people they had to worry about...  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
They had been out all day, feeling relatively good. Anne had begged for them to go to a bar, despite Cathy and Jane suggesting just going home. They eventually decided to let Anne and Anna go to the bar for a bit, and the others, who weren't too excited about it.

“Don't keep us waiting too long!” Catherine called out as Anne and Anna got out.

“We won't!” Anne called back, before they both ran in.

They had a shot before Anna suggested they slow down and have a light we drink, so they weren't hungover or something.

Anne reluctantly agreed, knowing that future her would appreciate the lack of hangover. And there was a better chance she wouldn't do something stupid.

They got something lighter and talked for around 20 minutes. 

At some point, Anne was getting a little overstimulated and told Anna she was going in the back for a little break and she would be back soon.

“You sure you don't want me to come with?” Anna asked one last time.

“Nah,” Anne shook her head, ”If I'm not back in, like, ten come make sure I'm not dead.”

Anna chuckled, ”Fine. Be safe, Verfüherin!”

“Will be, Anna!” Anne left and went in the back. Going out the front would be safer, but there were more lights and people and one of the Queens would ask if she was okay and pester her about it for a solid few minutes.

Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

As she heard a voice yelling, “Hey, beauty!” while leaning against the wall and bouncing in place, she realized something could happen.

She glanced at a guy coming up, way top dark to get any real idea of what he looked like.

“Yes?” She asked, not hiding the annoyance in her voice.

“Oh, come on,” He tilted his head, ”I'm just complimenting a beautiful woman I see! And all alone...”

“I'm not really alone,” She was getting uncomfortable, but all he was doing so far was obnoxious flirting, ”My friend is inside. In fact, I should be getting back to her-” She tried to turn away and he grabbed her wrist.

She turned as he pushed her against the wall, leaning over her, “Come on, don't be a tease!”

“I-I don't-!” Anne felt her skin crawl and every part of her screamed to get the fuck away, ”Back off!”

“Come on, now, Anne,” How the _Hell_ did he know her name?! “Everyone knows you're a little slut.”

“St-Stop!” She had been making progress. She really, really had. She had been getting way better at saying no and sticking to it. But holy shit, this guy was hitting every single trigger.

“I could show you a good time,” He leaned closer, way too close, God why wouldn't he back off, ”Way better than that ‘girlfriend’ of yours.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm at the word ‘girlfriend.’

“I'm n- I'm _not_ a cheater!” Anne looked up at him with wide eyes. Was Anna gonna come? Was anyone gonna come help her?!

“Then why else did you get your pretty little head chopped off?” He put a hand on her neck and pulled her closer, _oh, God,_ they were almost touching. “Do you have a scar? Is that why you wear this?” He pulled on her choker.

“N-No!” She yelled, but he had already pulled the choker off. He traced her scar with his finger.

Anne stayed quiet, because he wasn't some random asshole in the alley behind the bar anymore, he was Henry. He was the same Henry who beat her, who threatened her, who got her head chopped off, who came back and threatened her family, who almost killed her, who she... She...

Who she never said no to.

While her mind was trying to process, she got snapped out of it when she felt lips against hers.

_Fuck._

It was all too familiar, it was like he was here. Fuck, she wanted to run. Her whole body was telling her to push him away, her mind sending off so many alarm bells, she wasn't sure if they were just in her head anymore.

But she just couldn't bring herself to move.

_If I fight back, something bad will happen. I'll get hurt. Someone else will get hurt._

As he began to kiss her neck, her mind wandered more and more.

_What if you are a tease? You aren't fighting back. You have a girlfriend. You're creating. Look at what you're doing to Catherine. She'll be crushed. You're a shitty person. Maybe you deserved to get your head cut off._

She unsuccessfully fought back tears and wished she could just... Disappear. Be gone. She wished she asked Anna to come with her. Or never came in the first place.

No, no, Anna is coming.

She had to.

How long had it been? She said after ten minutes.

Unless she isn't coming. Unless she doesn't care. Unless you've become an inconvenience. Unless they all left without you. Unless they ju-

“Hey, Verfüherin, it's been like 10 so-” Anne couldn't help but let out a sigh- sob?- of relief when she heard Anna and he pulled away, ”What the FUCK is going on?!”

The guy stepped back and Anne crumpled to the ground. She blocked everything else out, covering her face and letting herself cry. She hardly registered that she was scratching at her arms.

“Verfüherin!” She heard a voice, somehow sounding muted and piercing at the same time, ”Anne! Are you okay?! Did that asshole hurt you?!”

Anne just shook her head and forced out a, ”N-No.”

“Can I touch you?” Anna asked.

Anne nodded, immediately, not even registering what she was asked. She just wanted to make sure no one else would hurt her for her defiance, just agree and- _**FUCK!**_

She violently flinched away as something touched her, setting her nerves on fire. She finally realized the question as she saw Anna giving a confused look that melted into sympathetic.

“Anne, please, tell the truth,” Anna looked at her, ”Can I touch you right now?”

Anne swallowed and didn't move. Anna sighed and stepped back a little before pulling out her phone. Anne noticed a flash of anxiety in her expression and then Anna looked back at her.

“Do you want me to get Catherine?” Anna asked.

Anne gave a small nod. Anna looked at her phone and Anne looked down at her hands, wincing at the blood. It was only then she realized that her arms were bleeding.

It was a very short wait before Catherine came racing around the corner, “Is Anne okay?!”

“She isn't dead,” Anna stood up and took a few steps away, ”But she isn't talking. All I know is I came out, she and some guy were making out, and she started sobbing and fell to the ground when he backed off. I guessed that meant it wasn't so consensual, punched him, then he ran. I would've chased, but I didn't wanna leave Anne alone.”

“Okay...” Catherine crouched by Anne and Anne couldn't meet her gaze.

 ** _You're a cheater,_** A voice hissed, ** _You fucked up. You didn't push him away. You hardly fought._**

“Bo, are you okay?” Catherine winced a little, ”Stupid question. How verbal are you?”

Anne just shook her head.

“Are you physically hurt?”

Anne gestured to her arms and heard Catherine softly gasp.

“Did he do that?” She asked, quietly.

Anne shook her head.

“Did... Did you do that?”

Anne nodded a little and forced out, ”Didn't mean to.”

“Okay...” Catherine scooted a little closer, ”Was that... Consensual?”

Anne winced and didn't move.

“Bo,” Catherine gave a small smile, ”I know it wasn't. Don't worry. I know you. You aren't a cheater.”

“Why'd I get my head chopped off?” Anne muttered, before taking a deep breath.

“Because Henry's a dick,” Anne glanced at Catherine as she went on, ”You never cheated, did you?”

“Feels like it,” Anne mumbled, ”’called me a slut, too.”

“You're not,” Catherine assured, ”Bo, you are... The kindest, spunkiest, more determined person I've ever met. You'll do anything to help your friends. Hell, you climbed a roof for Anna, once. You sacrificed yourself for Kat and Jane. Anne, you are selfless and amazing and beautiful. You're a lot of things, but ‘slut’ and ‘cheater’ are not one of them.”

Anne sniffed and hugged herself tighter, ”R-Really?”

“Really. Bo, I love you,” Catherine smiled and held out her hand, which Anne tentatively took, ”Now, I want you to say if what just happened was consensual or not.”

“I-I...” Anne blinked and looked down, ”I don't... Know. Didn't shove ‘im away. I...”

“Anne, unless you said yes,” Catherine began to pull Anne up, ”It's not consensual.”

“I ‘idn't wanna get hit,” Anne shuddered and hugged Catherine as they stood up, ”’M sorry, I cheated, ‘m sorry, sorry, sorry-”

“Bo, hey, hey,” Catherine hugged her back, ”Shh, shh... You didn't cheat. It doesn't count if you sexually were assaulted, okay?”

“I didn't push ‘im...” Anne breathed, ”I didn't- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you-”

“You didn't hurt me,” Catherine assured, ”You're the one who got hurt here, Bo.”

“I...” Anne swallowed.

“Can you say that for me?” Catherine asked, ”Can you say, ‘I got hurt.’”

Anne was quiet before whispering, ”I got hurt...”

“And ‘It wasn't consensual.’”

“It... It wasn't... Wasn't consensual.”

“Thank you,” Catherine pulled away and smiled, ”Are you ready to go home now?”

“Fuck, yeah...” Anne mumbled.

“Come on,” Anna had been standing a few feet away the whole time, ”Let's go back to the car.”

They nodded and followed. They were flooded with questions, which Anna and Catherine mostly answered. Jane told Anne she would wrap up her arms when they got home- which she did.

Anne felt dull. Numb. She was just looking out the window, holding Catherine's hand and thinking.

The thoughts hadn't completely melted away. Of course, not.

_You didn't push him. You didn't directly say no. You could've done so much mo **re to stop that situation. You basically cheated. Maybe he was right to call you a cheater and a slut...**_

Anne closed her eyes and prayed the thoughts would just... Go away. They didn't. They just got stronger. And louder. They dulled, they came and went, but they always came.

Anne was sure they wouldn't leave one day.

And she didn't know what she'd do then.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
It had been a few days. The others had been sticking around the house, periodically checking on Anne. She insisted she was fine. It was a lie, but she didn't want them to worry.

At some point, Catherine, Jane, and Cathy agreed to leave for a few hours. They the others promise to call if something happened, but Anne was sure they were just talking to her.

After they left, Anne just went back to her room. She didn't want to deal with this.

It had been a few hours, she was listening to music to fight the voices. They had been so damn loud lately...

She laid on her side and closed her eyes, wrapping the blanket further around her.

Her mind still ran through that night, over and over, what happened, what could've happened, everything she could've done differently, what if Catherine did consider it cheating? Should she have considered it cheating?

She didn't realize that tears were streaming down her face until she heard a sharp knock. “Annie? Are you okay? I heard sniffling...”

“F-Fine!” God, it was obvious she was crying, ”Just... Watching something sad?”

“Annie...” Kitty gave a condescendingly sympathetic voice, ”Please. We said that we'd talk about it more! Is it the guy at the bar?”

Anne stiffened and muttered, “N... Y-Yeah, but... It's fine.”

“It's not fine!” Kitty protested, ”You aren't... Talking. Just open the door.”

“Remember what happened when I didn't open the door?” Anna's voice came through the door. Anne internally sighed. They were both there then.

“I don't-” Anne sighed, ”Fine, n-no one climb the roof.”

She walked over and unlocked the door. She looked at Kitty and Anna with dull, tired eyes.

_**Just shut them out. They deserve better.** _

“Verfüherin...” Anna took a step closer and Anne quickly sat down on her bed and looked down, ”Can we touch you? Or at least sit by you?”

Anne nodded, to both.

“Are you sure?” Kitty double-checked.

Anne looked at her, ”I'm sure. Affection would be...” **_Don't. Just tell them to get lost. Just deal with it alone._** “Be nice.”

Anna and Kat sat by her and, soon, the three of them were cuddling. Anne sniffed a little and pulled the blanket on them.

“Can you talk to us, Annie?” Kitty asked, voice soft.

“If... If I talk...” Anne mumbled, ”I don't wanna be the only one. Can... Can we all share something? Even if it's... Small compared to mine or each other. Just... Something.”

Anna smile, ”Sure, Verfüherin.”

And that's what they did. For hours.

It was nice...

And the voices dulled a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know this is FAR from the end of Anne's depression, but this isn't about that now
> 
> Also, there might be a bit of a gap in updating, school exists now so I'll be busy


	5. Defense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane was doing so much better, she really was!
> 
> Then, she wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Panic attack, blood, bruises, minor violence

Jane was proud.

She had been getting so much better.

There was still panic at every mistake, but it was dulling more and more. She was okay.

She could apologize, help clean it up, and move on.

So, why was she here, in the middle of a diner, having a panic attack over something that barely even be classified as her fault?  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
They had all gone out for the day, sticking together this time. After what happened with Anne, they were all anxious to stray too far from the group.

At some point, Jane suggested they go eat at the diner.

“If everyone tells me what they want,” Jane offered, ”I can order it so you can finish looking around the store?”

Anne shrugged, ”I'm already bored of this place. No good greens. Or anything in my style. Mostly black, gray, and white.”

“That's the point,” Cathy reminded, ”It's like... Fancy.”

“I don't like it either,” Kitty shrugged, ”Annie and I will go with!”

“Cool,” Anna nodded, ”Text us if we aren't there when the food comes. I'll text Jane the orders.”

“Okay!” Jane smiled and the three of them walked to the diner.

They took a corner booth in the back, by the bathrooms. They checked the menu and Jane brightened as she saw Anna send the order.

_‘do they have these?’_

_‘Yep! I'll order these.’_

The three cousins talked while they waited for someone to take their order.

At some point, Kat looked a little overwhelmed. Anne suggested that she go to the bathroom for a small stim break.

“I'll come with so you aren't alone,” Anne nodded, ”Janey, you wanna come, too?”

Jane shook her head, ”There should be someone here if they come to order.”

“Okay!” Anne grinned, ”Don't be hesitant to text or come over or something.”

Jane nodded and the two cousins left.

She pulled out her phone and winced a little. She probably should've asked Anne or Kat to read it for her first. But, whatever. She just needed a second and then she'll b-

“Can I have your drinks orders?” A voice asked.

Jane looked up and saw a young girl with short black hair looking at her. She gave a small smile and felt anxiety spike, ”Oh, uh, just give me a s-”

“Do you need me to come back later?” The girl sounded a mix of bored and annoyed.

“No, no, just-” Jane looked down, but the letters were just- she couldn't read it! She sighed, giving up, ”Three waters.” She would tell the others they had to reorder drinks later.

The girl nodded and walked away. Jane looked at the phone and started to read, so she would be prepared next time. She figured it wouldn't matter, Anne and Kitty could just read it for her. They would order.

Where were they? She hummed and checked her phone. It had only been around ten minutes. She would check on them in a bit.

She looked out the window and wondered when she would text Anna. _Maybe after we order..._ She thought, _Yeah, that sounds about right._

After a few minutes, she decided to get up to check on Anne and Kitty.

As she stood up, she realized she should just text them first. She stopped and pulled out her phone. She went with Anne, deciding she would then text Kitty if she didn't reply, then check on them both.

She began to type when someone bumped into her. She caught herself and turned around, wincing as she saw the waiter on the ground, glasses of water on her.

“Oh!” Jane gasped, ”I'm so sorry, le-”

“God!” The girl stood up and glared at Jane, ”Watch where you're going!”

“I-” Jane almost explained how she was standing still for a solid few seconds, but just stammered out, ”I'm so sorry!” 

She tried to remind herself that Henry wasn't here, she was fine, but the girl kept going.

“Now look at what you did! I'm covered in water! I'm gonna clean all of this up!”

“I-I'll help you! I-”

“My clothes are gonna be ruined!”

_It's just water._

“I'm sorry, I know, I-”

“I'm gonna have to get you three more waters! That's such a waste!”

_It's really not, it's just three waters._

“I can pay for it if you want!”

“How are you so stupid?!”

The other people were staring at them, eyes wide. All the other employees were in the kitchen. It was a small place.

“I'm so sorry!” Jane felt her eyes fill with tears, ”I-I can fix it, just-”

“Are you crying?!” The girl snapped, ”What are you, a fucking child?!”

Jane stepped back and slipped, falling down.

“And now you're on the ground!” The girl rolled her eyes, ”This is your mess! You did this to yourself!”

Jane began to shake, memories mixing with present, ”I-I'm so sorry! I can fix it, pl-please, jus-”

“GET THE _**FUCK**_ AWAY FROM MÈRE!” Someone yelled. Jane felt relief set in as she realized it was Anne.

She curled up and sobbed as she heard Kitty reassure her it was okay. “Henry isn't here, don't worry, it's okay...”

When Jane managed to semi-calm down, Anne and the waitress were fighting. Anne was tussling with her, seemingly winning.

Kitty shot Jane a smirk, ”Anne is gonna _beat her ass_ for this.”

Jane gave a wet laugh and wiped her eyes, ”Sh-Should we stop her?”

“Nah,” Kitty shrugged and helped Jane up, ”Give it a few more seconds. I'm sure she'll stop eventually.”

It was then that the girl grabbed at Anne's neck. Anne stiffened and the girl twisted, pushing Anne under her. She punched Anne once before Kitty yelled and tackled her.

Jane ran forward and pulled Anne back, ”Are you okay?!”

“Fine!” Anne rubbed her nose, Jane wincing at the blood. Apparently, Anne was also freaked out by the blood.

There was yelling, everything went by as a blur for a few seconds, and it ended with Anne standing in front of Jane and Kitty, though she wasn't much of a defense. She was shaking and tears were streaming down her face. But she stood as steady as she could, arms defensively outstretched around Kat and Jane. The waitress was being held by what looked like another waiter and some random guy.

It fell silent for a few seconds, the sounds of breathing and quiet murmurs from the other diner patrons.

Then the door opened and there was even more yelling.

“EVERYONE, HANDS UP!”

Oh, **_fuck._**  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Jane swallowed as the phone rang.

“ _Hello?_ ” The confused voice of Anna picked up.

“Anna!” Jane grinned, ”Hi-”

 _“Schüchterner!”_ Anna gasped, _”Where are you three?! Someone said there was a f-”_

 _“Was it Anne?”_ Cathy asked, her voice slightly muffled, _”It was Anne, wasn't it?”_

Jane paused, ”It was Anne-”

“Hey!” Anne yelled.

“But it wasn't her fault. Some waitress bumped into me and started yelling and I had a panic attack and Anne...”

 _“Anne...?”_ Catherine prompted.

“Anne tackled her-”

“Okay!” Anne ran over and grabbed the phone, ”In my defense, bitch gave Jane a panic attack! Then she tried to choke me and now my nose is broken! So, she's worse!”

 _“We're not mad, Anne,”_ Catherine sighed, _”Just... Tired and worried. Where are you guys?”_

Anne and Jane shot each other an awkward look.

“We're... Kickin’ it?” Anne pushed out.

“In prison!” Kitty yelled from behind them.

_“WHAT?!”_

_“WHICH PRISON?!”_

_“OH, MY GOD, WE LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR FIVE SECONDS-_ ”

“This isn't our fault!” Anne argued, “That waitress did it!”

 _“Which prison?!”_ Cathy repeated, a little softer.

“There's one prison in this area,” Anne snorted, ”You do the math, genius.”

 _“Anne, I will make Catherine dump you,”_ Cathy muttered.

Anne gasped, ”Lina would never!”

 _“Okay!”_ Anna cut in, _”We'll be there soon. I'm staying on the line with you guys, I want a more detailed explanation.”_  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
After they got there, they agreed to let the three go. They got witness testimonies and everyone agreed that it wasn't their fault. The girl had started it by being aggressive and she had gotten fired and there would be a case.

Catherine freaked out when she saw Anne's broken nose and light bruising around her neck.

Kitty had a few bruises, as well, but was fine for the most part.

Jane had barely realized that her wrist was sprained until Anna pointed it out. She felt the pain after some of the adrenaline began to fade away.

Anna drove them home. Catherine offered, but Anne pouted and demanded cuddles, instead. Jane then offered to drive, but Anna told her that she would just drive.

“Besides, your wrist is fucked up,” Anna waved Jane into the back, ”I'll drive us to the hospital and-”

“No!” Anne snapped, eyes wide, ”I-I am _not_ going back to that shithole!”

“I don't like it either, but...” Cathy gave her a look, ”Your nose is broken, Kitty is bruised up, Jane's wrist is probably sprained.”

“I don't wanna go, either!” Kitty argued, “What if they separate us?!”

“I'm sure they won't!” Catherine pulled Anne a little closer, ”And what are we supposed to do instead?”

“Not... Go to the... Hospital?” Anne suggested, “I don't know. But I'm not going.”

“Me, either,” Kitty nodded.

Anna sighed, ”Let's just fix them up at the house. We can bandage them up or something.”

“It'll just get worse!” Cathy argued, “Look, let's just go check them ou-”

“I will scream, Cathy,” Anne threatened, ”I will kick. I will bite. I am not going there.”

Jane rubbed her temple, ”Let's just go to a different hospital! We can't not check you guys out, but I do hate that place.”

“The only other hospital is, like...” Anna glanced at her phone, ”Three hours away.”

“Then, let's go there!” Anne looked at her, ”Or I'm not going anywhere.”

Cathy opened her mouth, but Anna cut her off, ”Okay, okay! Okay. Let's go there.”

Jane sat in the front while Anna drove, Anne in the back by Catherine, and Kitty taking a nap curled up on Cathy's lap. Cathy was rambling about something they all had very little knowledge about, but listened to every word regardless.

Jane looked out the window and couldn't help but smile at the memory of the diner. It was a shitty experience, but it made her realize something.

Maybe she couldn't defend herself.

Maybe she would never be ‘fixed’.

Maybe she would always have a panic attack at every little mistake.

But if someone like Henry ever came alone and tried to hurt her, she had five people who would defend her, no matter what.

She thought of the way Anne pushed herself in front of Jane and Kat, despite shaking and looking like she was gonna break soon, too.

She thought of the way Kitty consoled her. The way she was immediately calming Jane down and getting her back on her feet.

She thought of the way the other three got them out of the jail in no time. How they freaked out when they saw they were hurt.

She glanced back at her friends- no her _family_ \- and smiled.

They would always be there for each other, no matter what, even if Jane couldn't be there for herself.

And Jane would do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane deserves love


	6. Asexuality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat didn't know what a real relationship was.
> 
> Cathy wanted to change that.
> 
> (Also, unlike the others, this is a flashback)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Referenced rape, Kat’s whole situation, mild sexual(ish??) content. Just like... Making out, manipulation (Again Kat’s whole thing)

To say that Katherine Howard had been through a lot was beyond an understatement.

Being raped four times and repeatedly told it was your fault was an absolutely shitty thing to go through.

She learned not to pull away when someone touched her. She learned to shut up and go with it. She learned that the hands would never go away.

She learned it was a lie when they said, _“It'll feel good!”_ or _“We'll both be happy!”_ or _“It's because I love you!”_

Then, she died.

Then, she came back.

And she learned so many new things.

She learned that she could say no. She learned that a relationship wasn't “I want this, you're selfish if you say no.” She learned that a relationship wasn't, ”I like you, we're gonna be together now.”

It was different. It wasn't some sick obsession or something she just... Had to do. It wasn't a favor.

Cathy taught her that.

They taught each other that.

That a relationship wasn't a survival tool. It wasn't necessary. It was a mutual decision made out of love.

And love... Love was something completely different than what Kat thought it was.

It was beautiful.

They were both still learning, of course, and they still weren't sure what a healthy relationship was.

But they weren't gonna hurt each other. They were sure they were going to ever hurt each other. Not on purpose, at least.

They knew that.

They had promised that they wouldn't let the other accidentally hurt them. They had promised they would talk about it.

Yet, here they were.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Cathy and Kat had been dating for a while, now. Their relationship was going to go somewhere sexual, right? Kat just had to deal with it, right? She just had to... Deal with it.

So, when one day, there were home alone, hanging out in their room, it wasn't surprising they started making out.

It wasn't that Kat didn't like kissing and affection- she did. But at a certain point, it shifted from pleasurable to uncomfortable. Too hot, too close, too much.

Of course, it wasn't like she could say no before. It wasn't like she could point out her discomfort.

She didn't want to be selfish, after all.

They did so much for her, they-they deserved... Something in return... Ri-Right?

So, when she ended up underneath Cathy, she knew that it would shift from pleasurable to uncomfortable.

But Cathy would feel good, and she put up with her, and was so nice to her, Kat should just shut up and go with it.

Right...?

 ** _You don't want to be selfish, Kitten,_** Mannock's voice still rung in her head.

She really didn't...

So she stayed quiet as Cathy kissed her, but not being able to hide the way she stiffened.

At some point, Cathy suddenly pulled away and Kat blinked.

They stared at each other, Kat on her back and Cathy leaning over her, arms loosely pinning her down. Kat was free to move, but she didn't. Of course, she didn't.

“You're uncomfortable,” Cathy said, deadpanned.

“No, no!” Kat assured her, ”I-It's fine, just keep going!”

Cathy leaned up and pulled away from Kat, ”Kitty, you're clearly uncomfortable. We can stop-”

“No, no, I don't-” Kat began, feeling panic rise, ”It's fine, I don't- I don't wanna be annoying or anything.”

“Kit,” Cathy grabbed her hand and pulled her up so they were both sitting up, ”Your feelings aren't annoying. If you're uncomfortable, you can say so. It's okay.”

“I-I don't...”

 ** _It'll feel good,_** Dereham's ghost promised, **_I'm doing it out of love._**

“It's okay...” Kat mumbled, looking down, ”It doesn't- It doesn't matter, anyway. Doe-Does it?”

“Kat, of course, it does!” Cathy looked at her, ”If you don't want to do this, we don't do it. Full stop. No argument. That's what a relationship is. There are no compromises. That's not how it works.”

Kat stayed quiet, biting her lip. Cathy sighed and continued.

“Do you want to keep going or not?”

Kat took a deep breath and shook her head. A sob burst out of her and Cathy hugged her, whispering reassuringly in her ears.

“I'm s- I'm sorry!” Kat sobbed, ”I di- I didn't mean to! I don- I don't wanna be sel-selfish!”

“Hey, hey, Kitty!” Cathy pulled back and tilted her head up, ”Breathe. You are anything but selfish. Okay? You are amazing. It is never selfish to be uncomfortable. You can always say no and I will never be mad.

Kat sniffed, ”B-But... But you do so much for me... I should at le-”

“Kat,” Cathy cut her off, ”Can't you hear yourself? That's not how it works. Do I owe you sex, even if I don't want it?”

“Of course, not!” Kat's eyes widened, ”No, you don't- you don't... Owe me anything.”

“So why should you owe me anything?” Cathy questioned.

“I... I don't...” Kat looked down, “I don't know... They-They always said-”

“Kat, those guys were all dicks,” Cathy pointed out, Kat giving a small, sad laugh, ”They were manipulating you. They were wrong and it was absolutely disgusting and vile of them to say that.”

She stayed quiet, fiddling with the blankets. Cathy sighed and got up, looking around for a few seconds before tossing Kat the pink and blue fidget cube.

Kat smiled, gratefully, and fiddled with it as Cathy sat down and continued, ”I am not them. I would never, ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, Kit. What they said is irrelevant. They aren't around, anymore. And I am. And I say that you shouldn't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

Kat smiled, ”Th-Thanks...”

“You don't need to thank me for respecting your boundaries,” Cathy returned the smile and pulled her closer, ”You wanna just... Take a nap or something?”

Kat nodded and pulled the blanket over them, ”Sure... You okay with that, Cath?”

“Yeah.”

The two of them laid down and curled up together. Cathy pulled the blanket around them.

At some point, Kat mumbled, ”Can you... Talk about something?”

“Like?” Cathy asked, pulling her closer.

“Anything,” Kat sighed, “I just... Don't want it to be quiet.”

Cathy began to go off about some show, the flaws, the great parts. Kat had never seen it, but she appreciated it, anyway.

Eventually, Kat fell asleep. She didn't have nightmares, thankfully, but her sleep was still iffy. She would wake up and fall back to sleep. For the most part, she was in a weird half-sleep. She just focused on Cathy talking.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Later that day, after the others got back and they had dinner, Cathy had asked Kat to wait in her room. Said she had something to talk about?

Kat hummed and tapped the bed, wondering what it was. A small part of her feared that Cathy had changed her mind, b-but she knew better! Cathy would... Cathy would never.

Cathy walked in with her laptop and Kat tilted her head. “What's up?”

“Have you ever... Enjoyed sex?” Cathy looked at her.

Kat felt herself grow warm and blinked at the lack of subtlety.

Cathy winced, ”Sorry, sorry, that was beyond blunt. I was just thinking- I mean, there's a lot of new terms and labels and sexualities, even more gender terms!”

“Okay...?” Kat tilted her head, wondering where the was going.

“This one piqued my interest for you, after what happened earlier,” Cathy sat down and Kat looked at the term on the screen, ”Of course, I could be wrong. I just think it's worth looking into!” Kat hummed and read the term on the screen, she'd never heard it before.

“Asexuality.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is half the length of Jane and Anne’s and I hate it but I finished it
> 
> Get ready for a bunch of angst after this, though. There will be one pure fluff story then a lot of angst I'm sorry

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, the rest of this is gonna be them like slowly adjusting to the fact that their abusers are gone and learning boundaries and stuff. I swear I have a plan for this guys


End file.
